Volunteer Petra Lange

Welcome to ruhr-barrier-free.eu

The Railway Museum in Bochum-Dahlhausen (Photo: City of Bochum)

Even though we are now no longer European capital of culture, the cultural metropolis RUHR still has plenty of things to offer. Its 53 towns and cities will still be delighted to welcome visitors from Germany and from abroad. All of them will be eager to make sure that “inclusion” will turn out to be more than just an empty catchphrase and that people with special needs will find easy access to concerts, exhibitions, parties and other events, and that their visit will be remembered as a lasting “experience for all”.

"For 10 per cent of the population a barrier-free environment is an absolute must – for 30 to 40 per cent it is an urgent need – and for the whole of society it simply means added convenience and quality."(From the survey “Economic impulses of accessible tourism for all”, Ministry for Trade and Technology publication 2003.)

Photo: djan

The present website was created in order to ensure that this wide range of attractions can also be enjoyed easily by people with disabilities, by old people, and by families with small children. For, surprisingly, the Cultural Metropolis RUHR.2010 meanwhile has an enormous range of barrier-free facilities - though few people know where they are.

We will therefore try to provide comprehensive information on all barrier-free facilities – under the main headings of ‘venues’, ‘sights’, ‘accommodation’, ‘transport’ and ‘care’.